Car-coupling.



'W. A; PAL

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED Patented Sept. 28, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H'l'llll l W. A. PALMER.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20,1909

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

WILLIAM A. PALMER, 0F LUDLOW, KENTUCKY.

CAB-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ludlow, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic car couplings, and is especially intended to provide certain improvements in the Master Car Builders type of coupling, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved car coupler, with the knuckle in the open or unlocked position. Fig. 2 shows a vertical transverse section through the drawhead and knuckle, through the axis of the hinge pin, and shows the hinge pin in elevation, and the knuckle in the closed and locked position. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section through the axis of the draw-bar, the knuckle being shown in plan. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in vertical section through a portion of the draw-head, and shows the lifting pin and locking block lifted. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the lifting pin and locking block detached, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 5, but seen from the opposite side.

A represents the draw-bar carrying the draw-head, having the two usual arms A and A and recessed for the tail of the knuckle B.

C represents the hinge pin connecting the knuckle to the draw-head.

D represents the lifting pin, and E, the locking block hinged to the lifting pin.

In the drawhead, the vertical wall a (see Fig. 2) is adapted to engage the flat face of the locking block E. In rear of this wall, the draw-head is cut out slightly, as at a,

for convenience in assembling the parts.

The draw-head is also provided with an opening a for the lifting pin D, connected to the chamber a with a curved rear wall a as shown in Fig. 4, into which chamber the locking block swings when lifted, as also Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1909.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909. Serial no. 484,707.

shown in Fig. 4. The draw-head is also provided with a pivot shoulder a to engage an arm on the locking block, as shown 1n Fig.

4E, and with a bottom opening (4 to permit escape of dust, snow, or water.

The knuckle B has its tail B projecting into the recess in the draw-head, and is provided with a holding face Z) (see Fig. 8), to engage the locking block E. It is also provided with a rib b, a recess and a cam face 6 connecting said rib and recess, as shown in Fig. 3. On the front side of said recess is a curved wall Z)", and said recess is provided with a rib 6 all as shown in Fig. The floor of the recess Z2 is cut away somewhat behind the rib b as shown more clearly in Fig. l and into this depression, the lower end of the kicking arm 6 normally rests when the lifting pin is in the lowered position. YVhen the lifting pin is raised and the knuckle open, if the knuckle be swung to as if by the bumping or jarring of an adjacent car, or from any other cause, the rib Z2 serves as a safety rest or seat for the locking block and keeps the same in a rested position.

The lifting pin D is provided with an eye (Z, to be connected to the lifting chain, not shown, with a shoulder d, to limit the downward travel of the lifting pin, and with a curved face cZ to permit lateral play of the lifting pin in the opening a as shown in Figs. 2 and 4:.

The lower end of the lifting pin carries the stud D, to which is hinged the locking block E. For convenience of assembly, this stud D is provided with a lug (Z which passes freely into the elongated slot 6 in the head 6 of the locking block when the said block is swung to the substantially horizontalposition, but the said lug (Z secures the locking block to the lifting pin in all other positions of the said block; see, for instance, Figs. l and 5.

The locking block E is provided with an arm E, at right angles thereto, and a tail piece E generally parallel to the block E the said tail piece having a pivot arm 0 adapted to engage the pivot shoulder a as shown in Fig. 4:, and a kicking arm 6 which projects into the recess 6 in the knuckle B, and engages the cam 6 to kick the tail of the knuckle outward if the locking block be suddenly lifted. In case the knuckle is held firmly, as by contact with the knuckle on an adjoining car, this kicking arm will ride up on the cam surface 6 and will be held there after the lifting pin has been lifted, and thus hold the locking block in the disengaged position, so that the knuckle may be swung open, either by the movement of the adj oining car, or in other ways.

The operation of the complete device is as follows:Suppose the knuckle to be in the closed and locked position, the parts then being in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Now, if it is desired to release the knuckle, draw up suddenly "on the lifting pin D, the locking block will be swung up clear of the holding face I) of the tail of the knuckle to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, while during this movement the pivot arm 6 will engage the pivot shoulder (5'', (see Fig. 4), causing the kicking arm a to engage against the rib b, tending to kick or wedge the tail of the knuckle outi ard. As the knuckle swings outward, this kicking arm will pass up over the cam surface 6 If the knuckle is prevented from swinging open, as before stated, this kicking arm 6 will wedge up over the cam surface I), and the locking block will be held in the lifted position, leaving the knuckle free to swing outward when desired. In coupling together again, as the knuckle swings inward, the arm 6 will be wedged forward again, clearing the rib b and projecting downward into the recess Z9 finally being arrested by the wall 6 and the rib 6 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8, at which time the locking block will drop back to the locking position shown in Fig. 2.

To assemble the parts, put the lifting pin in place in the draw-head, then slip the slot 6 of the locking block over the lug (Z and turn the locking block slightly, as shown in Fig. 4, then put the knuckle with its tail in the recess in the draw-head, and insert the hinge pin C. To disassemble the parts, re verse the operation.

It will be seen that the parts are very strong and durable in construction, are simple in operation, may be easily assembled and disassembled, do not require difficult machining, and may be cheaply constructed.

Other advantages of the herein-described construction will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It will be obvious that various modificatlons might be made, which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a car coupler, the combination of a draw-head provided with a bearing face for the locking block and a pivot shoulder, a knuckle hinged thereto, and provided with a tail swinging into said draw-head, said tail having a bearing face for the locking block, and being provided with a curved recess therein, with an inclined curved cam surface forming the rear wall of said recess with a rib in front of said recess, a lifting pin movably mounted in said draw-head, a locking block pivotally connected to said lifting pin and adapted to engage the bearing surface on the tail of the knuckle and on the draw-head when in the lowered position, an arm rigidly attached to said locking block and provided with a tail-piece having a downwardly-projecting arm adapted to engage in said recess in the tail-piece of the knuckle, and to wedge up said inclined curved cam surface when the knuckle is swung in one direction, and to rest upon said rib when the knuckle is swung in the opposite direction, and a pivot arm adapted to engage said pivot shoulder in the drawhead, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a car coupler, the combination of a d aw-head provided with a bearing face for the locking block and a downwardlyprojecting pivot shoulder, a knuckle hinged to said draw-head and provided with a tail swinging into said draw-head, said tail having a bearing face for the locking block, and being provided with a curved recess therein and a rib in front of said recess, with an inclined curved cam surface forming the rear wall of said recess, a lifting pin movably mounted in said draw-head, a rectangular locking block pivotally connected to said lifting pin and adapted to engage the bearing surface on the tail of the knuckle and on the draw-head when in the lowered and vertical position, an arm rigidly attached to or integral with said locking block at right angles thereto and provided with a tailpiece having a wedge-shaped downwardlyprojecting arm adapted to engage in said recess in the tail-piece of the knuckle, and to wedge up said inclined curved cam surface when the knuckle is swung in one direction, and to rest on said rib when the knuckle is swung in the opposite direction, and a tapered pivot arm adapted to engage said pivot shoulder in the draw-head, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. PALMER. lVitnesses JAS. A. STEPHENS, B. KEsHINNnR. 

